Crafting and softies ahoy!

Jan 21, 2011

Everything is changing for me at the moment, and so, just to throw in some extra chaos I thought I'd change my blog around as well... I've moved back to blogger! This is the address, which is the same as the old old one: http://blinkingflights.blogspot.com/

I've been noticing how much blogger has progressed over the last little while, and I've been pretty frustrated with the limitations of my plan on typepad. I had loads of trouble changing my formatting, and whilst it may have been my own stupid fault, (maybe not), I don't want to spend hours and hours learning how to change things when I can see perfectly well how to change them in blogger for free,.. so I did. And whilst figuring out how to get all my posts to travel with me to blogger from typepad wasn't easy- they don't make it easy!-- I figured it out with a little help from wordpress and forums and special applications-- feel free to email me if you want to know how!

No more new posts from here! I'm going to leave it up for a bit, but probably downgrade to a free plan, so the formatting won't be much chop. Also, all the free patterns and stuff are still available on the new blog using google docs.

Jan 12, 2011

A basket to hold the blocks I picked up at the op shop (before my op shop swearing off of course!), which I made from lots of my red/pink scraps of fabric, I think I got a bit inspired while I was making the patchwork horse from the Softies book. I loosely used this pattern/tutorial from The Stitchin' Chicken.

And finally something for the baby from the Softies book, this is Mama Bear and she was designed by Nest Studio.

And cupcake booties, which my Mum crocheted for me after I gave her this US pattern, which she had to translate into her Australian crocheting knowledge.

And another pinafore, which is a bigger size than the others I made. I made it well before Christmas but I didn't have any nice buttons for it, so after looking everywhere I knew to look from Spotlight, Lincraft & HobbySew, to all the op shops in the area, as well as a few vintage clothes shops, and then to Etsy, I started to give up on the idea of really nice buttons... and instead started bemoaning this to everyone I know, which resulted in my Nanna sitting me down with ALL her buttons at Christmas time, and allowing me to pick out the ones I wanted. And I must have winged quite loudly, because when I got home, Joe's Mum had sent me a little parcel full of her old buttons as well. So now I can only complain that I have too much choice...

Sometimes when I'm bored on the internet, I like to go to flickr, and click on my 'favourites' in the 'you' menu. I pick a picture I love, and then I go to that person's flickrstream and click on their 'favourites'. And I pick a favourite photo of theirs and look at that person's flickrstream, and check out their 'faves', and keep searching and looking and I always end up with a whole bunch of awesome new faves in my stash.

This is exactly what I did yesterday afternoon, and even though I've had a tummy bug, a terrifying antenatal class and an emergency visit to the midwife (everything is a-ok, and was more panic related than anything physiological!), I ended my afternoon on the lounge with a bunch of felt, and a needle and thread sewing some stuff which had been in my head for a very long time, and which had gotten there via one such flickr expedition a few weeks ago...

These are my lazy, soft, freehand, but satisfying tributes to my following flickr faves:

Jan 04, 2011

After spending 3 really full on, intense days cleaning the loungeroom in the most serious way we have ever cleaned, and I mean serious- we got all the light shades down and washed them up, and scrubbed the walls, and managed to remove 4 boxes of books and knick knacks from the cupboard, and reduced our art making clutter by half- I have somehow managed to end my afternoon looking on Etsy, at more stuff... but at least it isn't half made, half hearted, 'maybe-I-could-use-that-one-day', or 'maybe-I'll-read-that-one-day' stuff, like all the stuff that was removed from our tiny abode today! I'm feeling like I can breathe easier in here now, and I've made the pledge to myself and to Joe, that I am completely over op shopping. I don't need the clutter and I certainly don't want it. Unless it's something I'm actually looking for that I'd buy in a regular shop, there will be no opping around here. Kooky, vintage stuff is not as cool as space, glorious space, and this is the only way that I can comprehend the baby fitting into the flat...

Dec 28, 2010

The winner of my Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day prize was Bella, which is kind of nice because she's a reader and she's left some comments in the past, so it kinds of warms my heart to have sent Etta off to live at her house!

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas, mine was nice, but a little too rainy and humid for my pregnant self, I'm happy to be home in Wollongong where it's reached a max of 18 degrees so far today! :)

Dec 17, 2010

It seems that lots of people already knew about this book before me, but for those of you who don't, you NEED to check this out! Emma-Lee gave me the most lovely baby present I've gotten so far, and although she explained that she buys this book for any remotely appropriate situation, I'm so glad she did! It's called 'An Awesome Book' by Dallas Clayton, and I recommend it to anyone who loves dreaming, thinking, making, pretty pictures, big ideas and lovely stories- and it isn't just for little ones, although it has been written especially for them.

It's about thinking outside boringness and blandness and thinking big, and it's been done in such a beautiful way.

Dec 14, 2010

I know that I just did a little giveaway, but today I'm having another one- I realised a little while ago that it had been over a year since my last act of generosity, and so when I saw that Sew Mama Sew were having their giveaway day just prior to Christmas, I decided to sign up, and so did lots of other folks- there are 3 master lists of giveaway peeps!!

So, this is what I'm giving away:

Her name is Etta and she is 10 years old, she is a summer dew drop girl, and like all my ddgs, she comes with a personality tag, hers reads:

She normally sells for $80 in the shops, and she could be all yours if you just leave a comment on this post. You have until the 17th of December- 18th if you are in Australia like I am, and I will post her anywhere in the world.

Until then, she'll just be waiting and wondering what her new family will be like...